Books › The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904 › scan 11
Scan 11
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Preface
3AFTER its acquisition by our house it seemed fitting to us that a collection of violins so celebrated as that formed by the late Mr. R. D. Hawley, of Hartford, and one so representative of the best makers of the Golden period of the Art, should, owing to its pending dispersal, be commemorated in such a manner that its value to the student, connoisseur, and violin lover be not lost entirely—hence this brochure.
5It has not been our intention to present an exhaustive treatise on the subject of violin history in general, but our efforts have been confined to that part of this interesting story which saw the inception of the violin, and its development in Italy; and, by means of the twelve superb instruments known as the Hawley Collection, we have tried to make clear to the reader the salient points of difference in the work of the various makers,—in a word, to convey to the reader the interesting data which he would be likely to gather from a personal examination and study of the instruments themselves.
7The text of the book is the work of the head of our Violin Department, who has long been the recognized authority of America, and its preparation has occupied the better part of two years. The work has been entirely a matter of love, no thought of profit entering into the matter.
9To Mr. Theodore Thomas, the honored and very eminent conductor of the Chicago Orchestra, we wish to express our appreciation of the interest he has manifested in our work, and to thank him for the valuable paper he contributes, which, coming from so high an authority, must be of the widest interest.
11Our thanks are also due Mr. Albert L. Pitkin, who, as a friend of Mr. Hawley and one of the executors of his estate, made the careful measurements of the violins which he now so kindly furnishes. These measurements, as well as the interesting sketch of the life of our unique collector, will be highly valued by all violin lovers. And to the other gentlemen who have aided us by furnishing measurements and permitting mention of their instruments, we also wish to express our obligation.
13The system of color photography known as the "three-color process," after careful consideration on our part, seemed to us to present the most faithful reproductions. The violin, with its many curves, its arching, and varying shades of color, which, through wear, sink one into the other so imperceptibly as almost to baffle the eye, is a most difficult object to reproduce, and requires skill of the highest order on the part of the painter or photographer. Lithography has the merit of producing certain fine results, but it does it, as it were, by rule; there is no elasticity, and consequently the subtle lights and shades
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.